2652 households in Ngoma District were connected to electricity through a project financed by the Belgian Government that saw Kayonza, Ngoma and Rwamagana Districts get power in the last three months according to the Manager of Rwanda Energy Group (REG) in Ngoma District, Benoît Niyonkuru.
Viateur Sindambiwe, 27, said that two weeks after his area of residence was connected to electricity, he founded a hairdressing salon in Nyaruvumu Cell of Rukira Sector.
“Now our area is developed, I started a hairdressing salon. I also bought a television set. It is really fine now,” he said.
Sindambiwe told our reporter that his daily income is between Rwf1,500 and Rwf3000 with food bills excluded. He plans to start another haircutting salon in which he will employ other young people.
It was not easy for residents of the rural Rukira Sector to get where to get their maize, sorghum and cassava milled. They say the price to mill their foods reduced to Rwf20 from Rwf50 per kilo when they used a generator.
“Before my house was connected, I used paraffin to light lamps which would cost me Rwf2000 per month; now I use electric lamps. This will help my two school children revise well their books,” Bonaventure Kwizera, a resident of Gatonde Cell, Kibungo Sector says.
Jean de Dieu Ndaruhutse, the Executive Secretary of Nyaruvumu Cell says that before their Cell got connected to power, residents used to use paraffin lamps that pollute the air,, had health risks all of of which have since changed.
“Electricity actually means development. It has changed our lives a lot. Now, a plot of land that was worth between Rwf200,000 and Rwf500,000 can’t be sold at less than one million,” Ndaruhutse said.
Easy access to clean water
Rukira and Kibungo Sectors are two sectors in Ngoma District in which it was difficult to get access to clean water.
Emmanuel Twizeyimana, an official in charge of distributing clean water to population in Ngoma District, said now electricity helps operate water pumps.
Emmanuel Twizeyimana, an official in charge of distributing clean water to population in Ngoma District, said now electricity helps operate water pumps.
“Electricy helps us use water pumps. The water we get is from valleys and we use electrical pumps which are affordable compared to generators operated by fuel,” he said.
Twizeyimana says that a jerry can of 20 liters of water is bought at Rwf20 with electrical pumps while it was Rwf25 for water pumped using generators.
“Generators are also not easy to use; transporting them to valleys is difficult. They frequently get faulty calling for incessant repairs but with electricity, such problems are no more,” Twizeyimana said.
Connected households in Ngoma District account for 46% according to REG statistics with two other projects under implementation in Kazo, Mutenderi, Murama, Sake and Zaza Sectors projected to see 6,000 households connected this year.
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